The 31-year-old veteran signed a one-year deal with New England in July to join a tight end room trying to fill the void of the retired Rob Gronkowski. But the Patriots have been set back by suspensions and roster nonsense at the position.

"Well, Lance is an experienced player," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said of Kendricks earlier this week. "He's been in this offensive system with (offensive coordinator) Josh (McDaniels) and with the Rams. It's not the same, but it's similar. He certainly has a good background on it, and he picks things up quickly and has quite a bit of experience in the league anyway. So, he's done well, and it was good to get him back out there last week. Good to see him have a chance to play against Tennessee, and we'll build on that going forward this week."

Kendricks is free to return to the active roster on Sept. 9 following the season opener. That's if he makes the roster. Kendricks is considered a potential cut candidate, according to NFL Network's Mike Giardi.